Discharge-chute shutter



Dec. 11 1923. 1,477,245

R. M. CONKLIN DISCHARGE CHUTE SHU'ITER Filed March 5. 1922 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

ROBERT M. ooivKLrN, oE JERsEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

DISCHARGE-CHUTE SHUTTER. y

Application filed March 3, 1922. Serial No. 540,769.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known thatl, Ronnirr M. CoNKniN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful linprovementsin Discharge- Chute Shutters', of which the following is a specification. y

The invention relates in general to a. lever actuated closure and specifically relates to an improved form of shutter or valve for closing the discharge chute in vending apparatus of the type usually employed for measuring and discharging a powdersuch as milk powder. and the invention constitutes an addition to the device disclosed in lmy copending application on dispensing;rv devices tified applicationthere was shown a measv uring valve positioned at the top of the discharge chute and which valve was provided with a pair'of pockets, 'each designed for receiving and measuring and when rotated for discharging thesubstance to be vended into the discharge. .chuter The valve was controlled by a lever which rotated the valve on a down stroke ofthe lever, land which lever returned idly under spring tension into its raised, initial position.

The lever in such constructions is designed to swing overa relatively long arc so as to obtain from a single, quick, nervous muscular thrust on the `part of the operator, sufH- cient power to actuate the valve under` con ditions where the valve is apt to sti ck.` The present invention contemplates the `utilization of some of this available power to open the chute shutter and accordinglythe shut-` ter is operatively, connected to the lever.

While a long levermovement is necessary to.

for moving the shutter positively over a relatively short distance from its closed into an, open position by the initial movementofthe,

lever and independently of the succeeding extent of movement'of the lever in its valve] actuating movement.

Another'object ofthe invention is ltot provide ameans controlled by the movement of the shutter into its open position for locking the shutter in such 'position until the control ylever is returned to its initial position.

Still another object ofthe invention isv to provide for a prompt positive and secure closing ,of the lshutter when free of the locking action of the lever controlled. connecting means.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of theI accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in' the' following particular description of one form lof mechanism embodyinglmy invention, and the invention also consists in certainnew and novel features ofconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings -j Y l Figure lis a View inside elevation of the lower portion of a vending machine provided with a preferred embodiment of the invention; and i l y y Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken only' the lbroken line 2 2 of Figure 1 looking chute 12 and from which leads a dischargeA chute13. `A rotary valve 14 is positionedv in the casing 11y and is mounted'for rotary movement upon the shaftfl'ywhich shaft v ,projects into a mechanism containing casing 16 and is operatively y.connected tobe actuatedrby a hand lever 17 through any suitable form of mechanism including a pawl and ratchet 17 ".formingno part of this disclosure but one formiof which is ldisclosed-in the above identified application. As shown in Figure 1 thelever is pivotally mountedon a pin `52 and is provided with a one-way acting pawl designed to engage with ay dual toothratchet 41 tomove the same1809with each. complete actuation `of the lever. vThe ratchet is secured to one end ofthe shaft 15. The lever is returned-t0v its normal position by. return'spring 56.

. The valve is provided witliztwo diametriycally. disposed pockets' 18k and 19 and the parti-s areso organized'that.afdownward thrust ofthe 'lever 17 will actz idly' during the initial partfof its swing, in so far as the valve is concerned andw1llact'dur1ng the final part of its downward swing to move one of the pockets, such for instance, as the pocket 18 from the upper, substance receiving position, into the lower position occupied by the pocket 19 in Figure 2 and disposed to discharge its contents from the device through the discharge chute'l.

The discharge chute 13 is normally closed by a shutter 20 which is held resiliently against the inclined or bevelled end 21 oi` n the` chute by means of 'a 4spring 22:which ver in its valve actuatingy downward stroke will movethe shutter from its closed, *full* line position intoits open, dotted line position shown in Figure 2. This cam `connection inoudes anl arcuate plate 25 mounted 'for swinging movement on the inner side or the casing 16 and is guided in its movement about the axis oit' the vshaft l5 by means of guide-pins26.disposed in a slot 27 formed in the plate 25'. The upper end of the plate 25 is provided with a bifurcated en'd 28 which straddles the lever 1,7 and is thus 'moved by 'f thelever in its movement in both directions.

The inner edge of Lthe plate 25 adjacent its vlower end is provided with an active cam face29 disposed to engage a stop roller 30 on the arm23. The downwardmovement of the cam engages the stop `'roller 30 -to move the shutter into its open positiom, after which the continued movementv of the cam underr the progressive action of ythe lever 17 will cause .the cam yto pass under the roller and thelongylocking, face 31 of the c'am will act on -the stop roller tohold v.thesame in the shutter locking and open position shown in kdotted lines in Figure 2. p Y

In operation it will be understood that theI partsfare initially in the posi-tion shown in full lines in Figure 2 and that the upper valve pocketl18 is4 filled withY powder or other substance fed therethrough through the hopper 12. The initial movement of the valve controllinglever 17 on itsdownward ystroke will be -to start the valve rotating clockwise and at 1thesame timeV open the shutter,.so that byu the time the upper pocket 18 has reached its'lower' ydischarging .position 'the 'shutter will'lbejfully4 moved into its open position 'and will be. evenlokedie this orearolsiticf1-4. ,.Whenthe 'operator .releases tension 011th@ lererit. Will tend i@ liet-life t0 its. .niarermostlen .with Italia@ .which iS spring 'controlled and "duringY this -inttialY *tically returned to its initial position.

part of the lever retreat the shutter will be still held in an open yposition and the shut# ter will not close until free of the locking eHectoil the cam. This closing action of the shutter inits return to its closed position, will not take place until the lever is prpgc'- Y this construction it is apparent that the dis.- charge shutter is normally closed when the device is not in operation but will be fully opened before the valve is in position to discharge its contents and will remain open for a time suiiicient to permit thedischarge of the substance through the chute. A While I have shown anddescrilgied, and' have pointed out lin lthe annexed claims, certain novel features of my invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the'form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may ybe made by those skilled .in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Y t

Having thus described my invention, I.. claim: Y

.1, In a device Jfor discharging a substance, the combination of a chute, valvularA mechanism for controlling therdischarge vthrough the chute, saidv mechanism including an vac tuating lever, a closure for the chute, and

means operated by the. llever for moving the closure into, open position on the initial movement of the lever.

2. In a devicefor discharging a substance, the combination of a vchute,jmechan ism for controlling the discharge through the chute, said mechanism including an Vactuating lever havingya handle movable on its actuating stroke over a relatively long arc, a vclosure for. the chutewith its free' end movableover a relatively short arc'and a cam .for translating the ,long .movement of the lever into a short movement ofl the closure.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination ofi: an actuating lever, a 'clolJl sure pivotally.mounted, a cam disposed in the path of the lever and moved thereby when the lever is moved in one direction, said cam having an activey face Vadapted to engage the closure to swing' the same about' its pivotal mounting. .j 4. In a device oit' the class described, the combination of an actua-ting lever, a closure pivotally. mounted, a cam disposed in the path oi' the lever and moved thereby whenl the. lever is moved in one. direction, said cani having an `act-ive face'adapted toengagevthe closure to swing the same about its pivotal-mounting and said cam. provided .witha locking Iface forming a continuation eeinbihaticin of an actuating lever, a closure,

Yof the active face and adapted 4to lock the and cam means therebetween for causing said lever in its movement in one direction to have in succession an engagement with the closure to swing the same into an open position and then an engagement to lock the closure in said open position.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of an actuating lever, a closure, and cam means therebetween for causing said lever in its movement in one direction to have in succession an engagement with the closure to swing the same into an open position and then an engagement to lock the closure in said open position, said closure adapted to return to its closing position when free of the lever controlled cam means.

'i'. In a device of the class described, the combination of a support, a depending arm hung from the support, a closure carried by the arm and a stop roller carried bv the arm, a cam having an active face connected to the lever to move therewith and said active face adapted to engage the stop to swing and lock the closure in open position. I

8. In a device of the class described, the combina-tion of a valve and a shutter, an actuating lever for controlling the valve and means controlled by the lever and having a timed relation to the valve whereby the shutter is moved into open position on the initial movement ot the valve.

9. In a device of the class described7 the combination of a valve and a shutter, an actuating lever for controlling the valve, means controlled by' the lever and having a timed relation to the valve whereby the shutter is moved into open position on the initial movement of the valve, and means for locking the shutter in open position 11. In a device of the class described, the l combination of a shutter having a relatively short opening movement, a lever having a relatively long actuating movement, connecting means between the lever and shutter, said connecting means having an idling movement `under the continued action of the lever following the short movement of the shutter into its open position and resilient means for returning the connecting means idly towards its initial position.

l2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a shutter having a relatively short opening movement, a lever having a relatively long actuating I movement, connecting means between the lever and shutter, said connecting means having an idling movement under the continued action of the lever following the short movement of the shutter into its open position, resilient meansfor returning the connecting means idly towards its initial position and resilient means acting on the shutter for moving the'same into its closing position when free of said connecting means.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 17th day of February, A. D. 1922. v i,

ROBERT M. CONKLIN. Y 

